Treatment of Recurrent or Progressive Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors (Islet Cell Tumors)

For information about the treatments listed below, see the Treatment Option Overview section.

Treatment of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) that continue to grow during treatment or recur (come back) may include the following:

• Surgery to remove the tumor.
• Chemotherapy.
• Hormone therapy.
• Targeted therapy.
• For liver metastases:
  • Regional chemotherapy.
  • Hepatic arterial occlusion or chemoembolization, with or without systemic chemotherapy.
• A clinical trial of a new therapy.

To Learn More About Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors (Islet Cell Tumors)

For more information from the National Cancer Institute about pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (NETs), see the following:

• Pancreatic Cancer Home Page
• Targeted Cancer Therapies

For general cancer information and other resources from the National Cancer Institute, visit:

• About Cancer
• Staging
• Chemotherapy and You: Support for People With Cancer
• Radiation Therapy and You: Support for People With Cancer
• Coping with Cancer
• Questions to Ask Your Doctor about Cancer
• For Survivors and Caregivers

Use our clinical trial search to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients. You can search for trials based on the type of cancer, the age of the patient, and where the trials are being done. General information about clinical trials is also available.